


Forgiveness

by annaxmims



Series: Tumblr Prompts [64]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Athena Grant Being a Mom, Athena Grant is Buck's Mom, Buck is a Sad Boy, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Missing Scene, Team as Family, internalized feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24399712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaxmims/pseuds/annaxmims
Summary: Tumblr Prompt:The Team is still mad at Buck for the Lawsuit so they don't really talk to him and he's still on cleaning duty then Athena stops by and realizes that Buck is still at the Fire House even though he is cleared for work and she gets all over protective of Buck and yells at the team?
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han
Series: Tumblr Prompts [64]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626286
Comments: 4
Kudos: 234





	Forgiveness

“Morning guys,” Buck greeted as he entered the house.

Hen gave him a wave and a half smile, Chim nodded vaguely in his direction, Eddie didn’t even look him in the eyes. It hurt, but it was a slight improvement from none of them even acknowledging his existence.

“Buck get started on chores,” Bobby ordered.

“Yes sir.”

Buck changed quickly, depositing his bag in his locker. He grabbed one of the checklists hanging on the wall and started filling the oxygen tanks. He dropped what he was doing when the bell went off but he was stopped by Bobby.

“It’s a med call Buck, we don’t need you. Finish up here.”

“Yeah okay.”

Buck knew that Bobby probably didn’t mean it that way, but ‘we don’t need you’ echoed in his head. Every day it was starting to feel more and more like the team didn’t need them. Bobby kept him at arm's length, where he used to keep him close. He used to feel like Bobby’s son and part and of his family, now he felt like a stranger.

The rejection that hurt the most was Eddie. Eddie was his best friend, and closer to family then even Bobby. It hurt to not be able to see Christopher. It hurt even more to know that the boy was asking for him and he couldn’t be there. First the lawsuit had kept him away and now, even with the lawsuit settled, Eddie was keeping him away.

He tried to keep his mind off the fact that the “med call” was taking a lot longer than normal. He forced himself to think positively, Bobby wouldn’t have kept him off the call if he’d really been needed. Bobby knew his skill set.

In order to distract himself, he did extra chores. He was silently hoping that if he impressed Bobby enough, he would be allowed back on calls.

He even went upstairs to make lunch for when they got back. He wasn’t the best cook, but Bobby had been giving him lessons before the accident and he could make a few edible and decently tasting meals. He’d even taken over cooking for Eddie and Christopher a few nights a week so that the poor kid wasn’t living on fast food and take out. Of course the lawsuit had blown that all to hell.

He decided on pasta, it was practically foolproof and comfort food. All firefighters were suckers for comfort food.

He dumped a whole box of curly pasta, the only kind he could find in the pantry, into a pot of water and waited. He also poured a jar of pasta sauce into a pan to warm up.

“Anyone here?”

“‘Thena?”

“Hey Buckaroo.”

Athena appeared at the top of the stairs, holding a few tupperware dishes that looked to be full of food.

“What are you doing here honey?” she deposited the food on the table and held her arms out to him.

He sank into the comfort of the first hug he’d had in months. She kissed his cheek softly, holding him and running her fingers through his hair until he was ready to pull away.

“Bobby said it was a med call and he didn’t need me. They’ve been gone a while so I decided to make them lunch.”

He gestured to the half prepared food on the stove behind him.

“I had the same idea. Wait med call?”

“Yeah that’s what he said. He left me here to finish chores.”

“Buck they responded to a pile up on fifth. If that’s a med call I’d hate to see what a real call is.”

“Wait, they left me here? They went on a real call and left me behind to clean.”

Buck sat down in one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. He dug the heels of his hands harshly into his eyes to ward off tears.

“Buckaroo what is going on?” Athena sat in a chair across from him and placed a comforting hand on his leg. “Things have been off lately. You haven’t been around much and you haven’t been spending time with Eddie. You know he got caught street fighting?”

“He what? That idiot.”

“Seriously Buck, what is going on with you?”   


“Since the lawsuit everything has been different. Everyone has pushed me away, even Eddie. They were all so angry at me and even though I dropped the case they still haven’t forgiven me. Bobby won’t let me on calls and he’s given me a list of chores a mile long. Eddie won’t let me see Christopher. I thought I was doing the right thing Athena. I just wanted my job back and when I found out what that lawyer was doing I put a stop to it. I shouldn’t have even filed the stupid suit in the first place. I fucked everything up. I fucked up the one good thing I had going on.”

“Buck, honey, don’t say those things about yourself. None of this is your fault. You were fighting for your family and even though you went about it the wrong way, you made it right. You don’t deserve to be treated like this and Robert Nash is going to have hell to pay when he gets back. Now finish making lunch.”

Buck stood and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He mixed the pasta into the sauce and topped it with cheese. He was putting it in bowls when the trucks rolled back into the station.

“Something smells good,” Chim cheered as they jogged upstairs.

“Great I’m starving,” Eddie agreed.

“Hey Athena,” Hen greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Bobby.”

“Did you make this?” Chim asked as he dug into the pasta. “It’s great.”

“No, Buck did.”

“Well thanks Buck.”

Eddie nodded slowly, stuffing his mouth with food so he didn’t have to say anything.

“Hey honey,” Bobby greeted trying to kiss Athena.

She ducked away fixing him with a death glare, “Robert Nash you are in for a world of hurt.”

“Mama’s mad,” Hen mumbled as Athena dragged Bobby into his office.

Buck looked at the ground, not sure what to do. The other’s tried to avoid eye contact until Buck gave up and went downstairs to find something else to clean.

Bobby called him into his office near the end of his shift and Buck found himself bracing for the worst.

“Hey Cap, you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yeah kid. Have a seat.”

Buck sat in one of the chairs across from Bobby’s desk. He picked at a loose thread on his pants nervously.

“Buck I owe you an apology. So does the rest of the team and trust me Athena gave them a talking to after I got my tongue lashing, but most of all me. I never should have kept you from going on calls Buck. This is your job and you’re good at it. You love this job and I know that. Buck I don’t think you know how it felt for me to see you pinned under that truck. I was so afraid for you. I blamed myself.”

“Bobby-”

“That kid was there for me. I will always hold myself accountable for what happened to you. And when you got out of the hospital I was so happy that you were safe. Then you coughed up blood in my backyard and I thought I was about to lose you again. After that, when I was sitting next to you in the hospital, you looked so small. I just wanted to wrap you in bubble wrap and keep you safe. So I kept you from being cleared. I didn’t realize that by trying to protect you, I was hurting you more. I drove you to that lawyer Buck. It’s my fault you filed that stupid suit in the first place. And I’ve been punishing you for that too. I’ve been taking things out on you and that’s not fair. So I’m apologizing and admitting that I was wrong. No more chore lists and staying off of calls. You’re back in every capacity. If you still want to work for me.”

“Of course I still want to work for you Bobby. This is my family, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good. Now let’s go get the apologies you deserve from the rest of the team.”

*****

“Hey Buck, wait up.”

“So we’re talking now?”

“Look, I’ve been a really shitty friend okay?”

“You can say that again.”

“I will if you want me to.”

“Please do.”

“I’ve been a really shitty friend. And I’m sorry for all of it. I know we have a lot of shit to work through, but Christopher has really missed you. Truthfully so have I. So what do you say to movie night and pizza? No lawsuit or work talk. Just you, me, Chris, beer, junk food and Disney movies.”

“I like the sound of that.”


End file.
